Capturing a Heartbeat
by VectorCrocodileFangirl
Summary: /Chisame x Jack Rakan/ The idea of happiness sometimes turns people into restless wanderers. Chisame decides that it's worth a shot, if only to give herself some peace of mind. /Sequel to 'Capturing Happiness'/
1. Departure and Arrival

A/N: I feel even less confident about this story than I did about it's predecessor. Oh well! This pairing needs more love, even if it's not absolutely perfect. Fair warning, I'm going to be taking a lot of liberties with the magic world, since very little of it is established or even set in stone within the course of the manga. The summary should make this clear, but this is a direct sequel to 'Capturing Happiness', and will probably be a little hard to understand without having read that one first.

* * *

Chisame stared blankly at her computer screen for a few moments before sighing and letting her eye stray to the window next to her. All she could see from her apartment window was the street below and the buildings across the street— no fantastic view for a hikikomori like her— but she wasn't particularly interested in the scenery. She was more interested in watching the people pass by on the street below. Most of them she didn't know; she barely even knew her next door neighbour, after all. But she recognized a few of them as being people who passed by frequently. A woman pushing a twin stroller, her two young daughters laying asleep inside. A teenage cashier from the convenience store was taking his third smoke break. A school-aged boy ran by with two of his friends in hot pursuit, and she could hear his laughter even from her second floor window.

She turned back to her computer screen. The blinking line on her word processor taunted her. She snarled at it and closed the window, pushing her chair away from the desk so she could lounge in the sun streaming through her window. She was supposed to submit a bug report for the ISSDA on a section of code for their new experimental 'extranet' system, a form of internet that would allow instantaneous connections not only between Earth and Mars, but also between the old world and the magic world. Higher-ups kept calling her integral to the project, but even that couldn't motivate her. Before her Mahora trip, it was practically natural for her to spend hours sitting in front of her computer screen; now, it was boring and almost painful.

The idea of happiness had infected her brain.

It wasn't long ago that she had gone to the class 3A reunion party. She had been coerced into going by an idiot who had taken it upon himself to give her some serious life advice, and since then she couldn't stop thinking about—

His advice, of course.

"_If you're not happy, go out and take whatever will _make_ you happy!"_

Chisame had never thought of herself as a person that was unhappy, at least not recently. Since their encounter with Cosmo Entelecheia, she had always considered herself complacently content with her lot in life. And it wasn't as though she was precisely _un_happy with her life as it was. No, it was something less concrete than that. She wasn't unhappy, but she wasn't _happy_, either. Being happy and being content weren't the same thing.

That irritated her more than anything.

She forced herself to roll her computer chair back to her desk. The idea of actually doing her work seemed almost unbearable, but she knew it had to get done either way. After all, she was supposedly "integral to the project", although she had a feeling that the ISSDA just told her that to try and get her more motivated to finish her work. While she dug through her mildly disorganized files in search of the half-finished bug report she had rage-closed, her eye strayed to the web browser she had left open during her last self-appointed break. She let the search function on her computer work at finding the bug report for her, she pulled up the tab she had left open and skimmed the page.

_Explore the wonderful Mundus Magicus! A beautiful and culturally diverse vacation destination is waiting for you!_

Every time she looked at it she cringed at the lame sales pitch plastered on the banner at the top of the site, but she enjoyed browsing through the pictures. Most of them were the usual tourist fare— picturesque scenery that most people wouldn't want to dare the hike for coupled with the various tourist traps at the heart of each of the empires. A few of the more wholesome pictures caught her eye, pictures of little outdoor markets or festivals, but mostly she was interested in the vacation packages the site offered. She didn't have much money to her name— the work she did for the ISSDA kept her living comfortably but without much in the way of savings— but the first time she had been to the magic world had also been the last. Some part of her wanted to remedy that. And didn't all of those self-help books and television shows always talk about travelling and seeing the world?

Her search program pinged to inform her that her file had been found at the same time her Snype Messenger went off, signalling an incoming call. She switched from the web browser to the instant messenger, where she was dutifully informed that the caller was Asakura by the little picture of her jumping up and down on her screen.

"Hey, Asakura," she greeted, dragging the web cam window to the top corner of the screen as she pulled up the unfinished bug report as well as the notes she had taken during the testing process.

"_Hey, Hasegawa,"_ the reporter greeted in turn. _"I was looking into the thing you asked about_— _planning on going on a vacation some time soon?"_

"Something like that," she replied as she reclined in her chair, idly irritated by her unfinished work. "Do you know when I can get a cheap flight?"

"_Just call me Asakura Kazumi, travel agent extraordinaire!"_ she replied with a grin and a wink. _"I booked you a flight for two weeks from now and emailed you the boarding pass."_

"Ah— without even asking me?" she said, recoiling slightly from her computer screen.

"_Hey, you wanted to go on a trip, right? No need to thank me," _Asakura said, giving her a thumbs up. _"You can just pay me back whenever."_

Chisame sighed. There was no use in arguing with Asakura about something like that. "Thanks, Asakura," she said. _At least she got it cheap.._

"_It's nice to see you getting out of your house for once,"_ Asakura said, smiling at her. _"I've gotta go get some work done, but you definitely need to send me a postcard when you get there. Ciao!"_

_Do you even know how much sending a postcard from the magic world costs?_ She thought, sighing as she went back to working on her bug report, her mind far away.

It had been a long time since she had gone on a real vacation.

* * *

The entrance gates of the magic world looked and operated like an airport. People passed through departure and arrival terminals, had their baggage examined, and were either sent on to the old world or welcomed into the magic world. Chisame got through without much trouble, aside from a baggage inspector who was boggled by her laptop and had to be told it was for her ISSDA work before he would let her pass through.

She emerged in a stone courtyard with a sports bag slung over one shoulder and a rolling suitcase in her other hand. _They did a good job fixing this place up,_ she thought, remembering the last time she had been there. She had flown into Wales for the trip, partially out of nostalgia and partially because trips to Wales during the English winter were apparently rather cheap compared to the other entrance gates. _Although with all of the help Negi was able to round up, it's not really all that surprising.._

"Hey, Chisame-chan!" The booming voice echoed across the courtyard so well that she could hear her escort clearly in spite of the fact that he was still a dark blob on the horizon. She wheeled her suitcase in his direction, and though moving through the arrival crowd was difficult at first, people soon started moving out of the way as they got closer. Jack Rakan grinned at her and patted her on the head when they met in the middle. "You're looking good. Did you get taller or something?"

"I stopped growing a long time ago," she replied blandly, thrusting the rolling suitcase in Rakan's direction. He grabbed it without pause, although the handle was so short in comparison to his height that he simply picked it up and hoisted it over his shoulder. "You must just be delusional. I'm exactly the same as the last time you saw me."

"Heh. Well, I was definitely surprised when you said you were coming for a visit," he said, making his way back through the crowd. Chisame kept close to his side, since the crowd seemed to be rather intent on parting around him like a diver moving through a school of fish— although she could hardly blame them. "Didn't think you'd miss me so much."

"Don't flatter yourself, old man," she replied without missing a beat, a little embarrassed by how easily the back-and-forth was coming to her. "I just needed a vacation, and I figured since you were the one who started on me about all this 'happiness' crap, you should make up for my mental anguish by being my guide. Although I was surprised you agreed so quickly.."

"Ha ha! Well, if you're going to be my pupil in the art of seizing life by the reins, then it's my job to teach you properly, isn't it?" he said. "Can't exactly do that when you're hiding behind a computer screen."

"I don't see why you care," she replied, hoisting her bag further onto her shoulder as they walked down a flight of stairs. The crowd was dissipating slightly as people walked off in different directions, off to meet up with family and friends or to catch an airship at the nearby port. "But if you're so intent on making me 'worldly', then I'm guessing you have a place in mind?"

Jack grinned. "C'mon, we have an airship to catch."

* * *

She had sent the letter not long after Asakura had booked her flight to Wales. For almost a month after the reunion party, Chisame's mind had been flooded with the same sort of thoughts that had been plaguing her on that very same day. Thanks to Rakan's unsolicited advice, she had become increasingly disenfranchised with her lifestyle to the point where she couldn't even spend a few _hours_ in the same way she used to spend entire days. That was when she had decided she needed a change.

She stared out the window of the airship, watching the wispy clouds drift by. Rakan sat across from her, indulging in a bottle of grain alcohol that an attendant had brought him free of charge.

"Having a good time, kiddo?" he asked, holding his glass up to her. She raised an eyebrow at him, face resting in the palm of her hand.

"Not as good as you," she replied, closing one eye but continuing to watch him out of the other. "It's still the middle of the afternoon. What are you doing drinking, anyway?"

He laughed, downing the rest of his drink and pouring himself another. "You gotta take things as they come, Chisame," he said boisterously. She rolled her eyes.

"I told you to stop calling me that, old man," she snorted, curling up slightly in her seat. "Just because you're my tour guide, doesn't mean you and I are best friends now or something."

"Ha ha! So cold, Chisame-chan, and after I agreed to do this all for free," he said, his laughter making it clear that he simply wasn't particularly bothered by her supposed coldness. "I even paid for your airship ticket and everything."

"That's your problem, not mine," she replied with a shrug, resting her head against the window and closing her eyes. She heard Rakan chuckle at her response, but she continued to ignore him.

She wasn't even sure why she had thought to send a letter to _Jack Rakan_, of all people. After she had spent enough time thinking about it, she had decided that the only logical reason he had come to mind was because he had been the one to start the entire ordeal. Not to mention the fact that he was one of the few denizens of the magic world that she could personally call a friend..

"You sure you don't want any?" the man in question asked, holding the bottle out for her. She cracked open one eye and tried to glare, but the effect was apparently lost on him, or else he simply didn't care.

"I'm sure," she repeated for what must have been the third or fourth time since the attendant had given him the booze. "Do you get bored in closed spaces or something? I'm trying to relax, since you dragged me straight here from the gate terminal.."

"Hey, if you fall asleep now, you'll miss the view when we start to land!" he said, sounding as if the very idea was unthinkable. "Since I'm supposed to be your tour guide, I have to make sure you see all the best sights, right?"

Chisame huffed at his response. "Well, at least you're taking your job seriously, for whatever that's worth.." she muttered, once again staring out at the clouds.

The letter had been a simple affair— she'd told him to take responsibility for what he'd done to her peaceful lifestyle, and had asked him to meet her at the magic gate to make up for it. She hadn't been all that serious, of course— she had even signed it 'Chisame-chan' to give it a less serious feel, although she had practically felt dirty doing it. It wasn't something she had expected him to take seriously— although whether he actually _had_ taken him seriously was debatable— but nevertheless, he had replied saying he would be there to meet her, and had also commended her for her guts. She had almost expected him to leave her stranded at the gate, but for some reason she couldn't fully understand, she hadn't been all that surprised to see him there after all.

"So I guess you're finally going through that 'wandering maiden' stage of your life, eh?" he said, fixing her with a look like he had suddenly solved some great mystery.

"I told you already, I just need a vacation," she replied, rolling her eyes. "It's all your fault, you know. If you hadn't harassed me into going to that party and started talking about happiness like that, I would be at home and perfectly content right now."

"You really think you would be happy spending your whole life staring at a computer screen, kiddo?" he asked, reclining in his seat.

"It's not like I'm any happier right now," she snapped, although she felt bad for it moments later. Although she couldn't understand why, Rakan seemed intent on helping her— even if she hadn't asked for or wanted his help in the first place. Then again, he wasn't the sort of person who waited for someone to ask for his advice. "..Sorry. Anyway, I'm glad you actually showed up. I didn't want to wander around like some dumb tourist."

Rakan's letter had told her not to worry about travel arrangements, saying he would take care of everything, but even before he had given her that assurance she hadn't thought much about what she was actually going to _do_ on her vacation. The last time she had been in the magic world hadn't exactly been a sight-seeing tour, after all. She wasn't even sure why she had wanted to go to the magic world in the first place— she could have picked just about any location in her own world and skipped the trouble of 'crossing over'. But when she had thought about travelling, the magic world had been the first place to come to mind, and it had refused to leave.

"Ha! Well, no worries about that now," he said, giving her a thumbs up. "I've been all over this world multiple times. I know all the best places to go without falling into the tourist traps."

She gave him a look like she didn't quite believe what he was saying, but was going to give him the benefit of the doubt anyway. She didn't even know where they were going— Rakan had herded her to the airship port straight from the magic gate terminal, without even a chance to rest until she had gotten on the ship. She had tried asking where they were going, but he had merely told her to sit back and enjoy the trip, since he was playing the role of her guide. Eventually she had given up on getting him to tell her and had taken his advice, trying to get some rest before they arrived at whatever their destination was. It had been a long trip, but her "guide" had insisted on keeping her awake the entire time.

"Hey, Chisame-chan, look out your window," he instructed. "We're gonna be landing soon."

"About time.." she murmured, although she hadn't really minded the flight all that much. Flying in the magic world's airships was certainly a much better experience than the plain old aeroplanes in the old world— for one, they weren't crammed into an enclosed space with as many people as the airline could get away with. The two of them seemed to have their own cabin, in fact, although she wasn't quite sure if that was common on passenger flights or if that was Rakan's money and status showing. She had to imagine there were perks to travelling with a famous war hero.

Chisame turned in her seat to stare out the window. At their current elevation, all she could see were the clouds drifting by, but she could tell that they were descending. She glanced over at Rakan to see him staring out the window as well, but immediately looked away when he seemed to notice her attention and glanced back.

When she saw what the Thousand Blades was trying to direct her attention to, she gasped involuntarily.

The clouds parted around their ship as it descended. An attendant made an announcement telling the passengers to prepare for landing and where they could retrieve their luggage, but she only registered it somewhere in the back of her mind. She remembered the magic world's cities as being something straight out of a fantasy manga, but the city that was spread out below them trumped even what she remembered of New Ostia— the sort of place that looked like it belonged in a fantasy game, with huge spiralling towers, historic architecture, and _colour_. The buildings weren't just brick and limestone as far as the eye could see; it looked like someone had taken great care to use every colour in existence to paint the walls and rooftops.

"Welcome," Rakan announced dramatically, like he was genuinely some sort of tour guide. "To the capital city of the Hellas Empire. The first stop on the 'Get-Chisame-Out-of-Her-Apartment' Grand Tour."


	2. The First Stop

A/N: The continuing saga of Chisame's vacation! Not much else to say beyond that. Fingers crossed that nothing I say in either this or future chapters contradicts canon information about the Hellas Empire..

* * *

"Leave it to the idiot to get a room with a perfect view.."

Chisame leaned over the edge of the balcony, staring across the rooftops of the city around her. The view was so picturesque it was almost sickening; she could see the brilliantly coloured buildings that she had seen on their way in, and off in the distance she could see a winding river that always seemed to have elaborate and fantastic-looking boats on it. The whole thing made it feel like if she had a camera she could have made a fortune just making and selling postcards.

The hotel had been their first stop after getting off of the airship, and it had only been thanks to her persistence that Rakan had agreed to let her rest for a little while before dragging her off somewhere else. She didn't know how long they would be staying there, since her guide was being irritatingly aloof about their plans, so she hadn't really bothered to unpack. Instead she had worked on getting her connection to the ISSDA set up while she relaxed— she didn't have a real internet connection, but she could communicate directly with the ISSDA and finish the work she had completely dropped in favour of going on vacation. It had been night by the time she had finished, and although she had expected Rakan to suddenly come bursting through her door at any moment, she couldn't even _find_ him. His room was just down the hall from hers, but he was conspicuously absent from it.

"Hey, Chisame-chan! Ready to get out there and live life to the fullest?"

She nearly fell over the rail in shock as Rakan burst through the door, his voice far too loud and cheerful given the hour. When she had recovered, she turned and glared at him.

"What do you think you're doing, busting into a woman's room like that?" she demanded, gritting her teeth. "I could have been changing, you old pervert!"

"What's the big deal? It's not like I've never seen you naked before," he pointed out, sitting cross-legged on her bed.

"Th-that was a long time ago!" she stammered, stepping inside and slamming the balcony doors shut behind her. "I'm a full-grown woman now! And— and that's beside the point, anyway! It's a matter of privacy!"

"Ha ha! C'mon, no need to be shy, kiddo! I've seen just about everything!" he said, grinning and laughing at her flustered facial expression.

"Being shy has nothing to do with it!" she bristled, fists clenched at her sides. She paused to take a deep breath, trying to regain her composure. "Tch. I shouldn't have expected anything less from a pervert like you. So where are you dragging me off to now?"

"You make it sound like I'm kidnapping you or something. As I recall, _you_ were the one who asked _me_ to be your guide," he said teasingly, cupping his chin between thumb and forefinger. "I'm even doing it for free, _and_ paying for all of your travel and accommodations, out of the kindness of my own heart. It's not too late for me to start charging, you know.."

"Fine, fine, I get it already," she said, waving a hand. For some reason, his teasing was actually calming her down. "You're the most generous cheapskate I've ever met. Happy now?"

Rakan shook his head fondly and smiled. "As cold as ever. Although I guess I can't expect to be treated as warmly as the kid," he said with a knowing grin. Chisame scoffed audibly.

"At least Negi's a gentleman, even if that makes him stuffy," she replied, crossing her arms. "Maybe if you stopped saying all sorts of weird, gross things, I wouldn't be so 'cold'." She paused, let her words sink in, and was surprised when she was greeted with silence rather than another teasing response. Even in the short period of time that she had been there she had gotten so used to the old man having some kind of response no matter what she said to him that it felt vaguely _wrong _to be met with silence. "Where are we going, anyway?" she repeated, convinced he had probably forgotten the fact that she had asked about it in the first place.

"If I told you that, it would ruin the surprise," he replied, chuckling to himself. He still had his chin cradled in his thumb and forefinger, and she could swear she saw a distinct glint in his eye.

_What's with that creepy expression..? _she thought, staring at him with concern. _I'm starting to think it was a bad idea to come here with a guy like you.._

She shook her head, put her hands on her hips, and sighed. _Oh well. I've followed an idiot this far, I might as well go all the way._ "Well, then, let's get going," she said, grabbing her purse from the chair she had left it on. "If you really have some kind of 'Grand Tour' planned, we're just wasting time, right?"

Rakan said nothing for a moment, and she wondered what she could have possibly said to elicit his silence before he burst out laughing. "You're actually excited about this, aren't you, Chisame-chan? All of your complaining is just for show, to keep me on my toes," he said, pointing an accusing finger. "Don't lie to me, I can see right through you. And I can read your mind, you know."

Chisame blushed furiously and gritted her teeth. "Why would I be excited about being dragged around by an old pervert like you, without even knowing where we're going?" she asked. Truth be told, she didn't exactly _mind_ the idea— but that hardly meant she _liked_ it, either.

"The 'wandering maiden' sees the mystery as just another part of the adventure," he said, nodding to himself like he'd solved yet a great mystery of his own.

"I think you've been reading too many comics, old man," she said with a sigh, her annoyance slipping quickly into boredom. Really, she and Rakan could talk circles around each other all day, but she hardly spent tens of thousands of yen just to do _that_. "If I say I'm just a _little_ intrigued, can we get going already?"

He grinned at her as he slid off the bed, stepping out of the room ahead of her. She followed, not knowing where he was leading her but hoping it would live up to the hype he was building up around it.

If she really had to admit it— she _was_ excited. Just a little.

* * *

The streets were flooded with people. Booths lined the streets, decorations hung from every surface, and the din of celebration was almost deafening. Chisame kept close to Rakan's side as they walked, as the crowd once again parted around him. People occasionally stopped and stared or whispered something to their companions as they passed, which made her feel incredibly self-conscious. She briefly debated separating herself from Rakan, but realized quickly that even if she wasn't trampled by the crowd, she had no idea how to get back to their hotel.

"I thought you said we were avoiding the tourist traps?" she said loudly, trying to be heard over the cacophony of the crowd. He laughed and gave her a firm pat on the back, one that felt surprisingly gentle when she thought about how much strength was in those muscles.

"This isn't a tourist trap, little lady," he replied. "Come on, I'll show you."

Before she could ask any questions or make any replies, he grabbed her hand and pulled her through the crowd at a speed much faster than the leisurely stroll they had been going at before. She stumbled over her own feet more than once as she tried to keep up, constantly yelling at him to slow down and being ignored, but every time she felt like she was going to fall she felt herself pulled up and back onto her feet. When she was finally released, completely out of breath, Jack stood with his hands on his hips as he surveyed the landscape in front of them with a smug grin. After she managed to get her wind back, she straightened up and pushed her hair back out of her face, widening her eyes a little at what she saw.

"It's a— festival?" she said, eyes scanning over the court stretched out in front of them. A huge statue that doubled as a fountain sat in the middle, and strings of brightly-coloured flags had been strung from it to the surrounding buildings. Banners proudly proclaiming that they were indeed in the middle of the capital city's cultural festival were strung in front of shop entrances, between rooftops, and just about anywhere else they could be.

"The Hellas Empire is one big mash-up of demi-humans and non-humans," her guide pointed out. "Once a year all of those different kinds of people get together to sell delicious food, play games, and put on crazy shows. It's supposed to be some kind of big show of good will, but all that really matters is that it's one big non-stop party— and you got here just in time to see it."

_Between that and how easy it was to get you to be my guide, I'm starting to think _you _put Asakura up to buying me that plane ticket.._ she thought as he laughed, then became more relaxed as he stared out across the crowd. It was hectic, but buzzed with a sort of positive energy.

"You hungry? I know a place nearby," he said, and for the first time she realized that she hadn't eaten since the meal that had been served on the airship. Her stomach seemed to catch up with her brain at the same time, growling loudly. "Ha ha! Come on, this way."

He grabbed her hand again, tugging her into the huge crowded square, and this time she didn't stumble as much. She was starting to simply _expect_ such sudden actions.

* * *

The second-floor restaurant gave them a perfect view of the square without placing them right in the chaos. It wasn't a fancy affair, but it was quiet and private. They had a table near the huge wall-to-wall windows that let her watch the festival unfold in the square without being in the pressing crowd. She watched a pair of dragon-folk perform a complicated show that seemed to mix fire juggling and some form of dance, much to the suspense and pleasure of the onlookers.

"So whadd'you think?" Rakan asked, in between huge bites of something almost resembling curry but wafting with scents that were almost floral. Chisame shrugged.

"It's not quite as impressive as the Mahora festival," she said plainly, twirling her pasta around on her fork. "..but it's nice. I guess this sort of thing is what the magic world is all about, right?"

"Heh. Cooperation, living together in harmony.. that's the kind of thing that the empires and kingdoms want to emphasize these days, especially since the kid's plan started getting put into action," he said, nodding. "The Hellas Empire has always been filled with all different kinds of people, all trying to make a living in this crazy world. Since humans never really liked 'em, they always tried to stick together. That's what this festival is all about." He shrugged as he shovelled more food into his mouth, and she idly wondered how much food a man his size could eat before his stomach exploded. He seemed to be trying to find out himself. "Anyway, I don't care about all that. All I care about is the good food and the pretty girls that things like this draw out."

"Hmph. That sounds like you," she said, popping a bright green, tenderly cooked vegetable into her mouth. "So why did you start my 'Grand Tour' here, of all places? It's not like I've never been to a festival before."

"I figured I should start small," he replied. "The 'wandering maiden' is a delicate creature, after all."

"Who are you calling delicate..? And what is with all of this 'wandering maiden' crap..?" she said, staring at him in mild disbelief. Just how long could he keep up an idiotic joke like that before he understood that he just wasn't funny?

"Can I get you anything else?" asked their overly enthusiastic waitress, a plump cat girl with coarse black hair all over her body. She had been excited when they had taken a seat in her section, whispering to her fellow waiters and waitresses, and had insisted on lingering around and asking them if they needed anything practically since they had walked in. Rakan had taken all of the attention in stride, but she was starting to understand why he lived out in the middle of nowhere.

"You almost done?" he asked, nodding at her half-finished plate. She nodded; the portion sizes were just too big for her, and even half a plate was more than enough."Just the bill, missy," he replied, winking at her and sending her skittering off. Chisame gave him an unimpressed look, shaking her head in vague resignation when he laughed at her expression.

"I guess being a war-hero makes you a major celebrity, huh," she said, her eyes wandering to stare out the window once more. The dragon dancers had finished their act, and a tall individual with elongated proportions in a colourful jester's costume and mask was entertaining a crowd of children of all sorts with a performance that fell somewhere between a gymnastics act and a magic show that to her seemed to be quite flashy, but she assumed was quite mundane in a world ruled by magic.

"Back in the day it might've gotten me attacked on sight," he replied in a voice that sounds wistful, as though he had positive memories attached to the idea of being a wanted criminal. Chisame couldn't be sure that _wasn't_ the case; after all, he had strange ideas about what was entertaining. "Being famous has its perks, I guess."

Chisame snorted at his remark, although again she wasn't all that surprised. What was fame to an invincible idiot, who was already confident to the point of cockiness?

"So now what?" she asked, crossing her arms. The cat girl had trotted back up to their table with their bill in hand, which she placed on the table between them. Chisame instinctively reached for her purse, but Rakan snatched the bill up before she could even look at it. She frowned; she was grateful for not having to spend her rather limited funds, but at the same time it was strange to have someone paying for everything for her. Especially someone like Jack Rakan, who she remembered all-too-well being a man who was hilariously stingy and never did anything for free. It made her feel unsettled, like he was planning something and she just couldn't understand what, or he was going to suddenly spring a bill on her the way he used to do to Negi. Once he had set out the necessary drachma, along with a generous tip, he jumped up from his seat and headed straight for the entrance. She nearly stumbled over her own feet trying to follow, silently cursing how out of shape she had gotten over the years. Although she had tried her best to keep her weight in check and generally stay healthy, she wasn't quite as athletic as she had been when she had originally visited the magic world with Negi. "Jeez, slow down already, old man!"

"Ha ha! Can't even keep up with an old-timer like me, Chisame-chan?" he laughed, stopping in the stairwell to let her catch up. Below she could hear the ongoing din of the festival, and she clutched her purse to her side nervously, afraid to lose it or have it stolen in the crowd. Then again, walking with someone like Jack Rakan made it difficult to imagine the possibility of getting purse-snatched in the middle of the street. "C'mon. The festival is spread all across the city. If you wanna see the best parts of it, we'd better get going."

_Oh good_, she groaned inwardly, hovering close to Rakan's side as the crowd started pressing in on them once outside. _Sounds like a lot of walking.._

* * *

"Hey, Chisame-chan! Wanna play this?"

Chisame nibbled at a small bag of salty-sweet candy as Rakan pointed to some kind of shooting game booth set up at the side of the road.

"Hmph. Do I look like Akashi?" she asked, tucking her pouch of candy into her pocket. "Besides, you're such a broken character, I'm pretty sure just playing any of these games would be cheating.."

"I could get you one of those prizes," he said, ignoring the latter half of her comment entirely. The keeper of the booth looked nervous, probably suspecting that Rakan could wipe him clean out without much difficulty.

"N-no thanks," she said, not sure whether he was being serious or not. "I don't really need any stuffed animals or trinkets."

"Tch, you're such a spoilsport, Chisame-chan," he replied, although his trademark grin clearly showed that he was not nearly as disappointed as he sounded. "What's a festival without playing a whole bunch of games?"

"I didn't come all the way here just to play festival games," she said, although it was hard to get annoyed. In truth, she was enjoying herself; they'd gone to a few different shows, most of them street performances but a few of them private ones. It seemed like Rakan really did have all sorts of connections. "I mean, if you're trying to show off, it should be something more impressive than a shooting gallery, shouldn't it?"

"Oho! That sounds like a challenge," he said with a mischievous glint in his eye. "I'm warning you, little lady— I have no weaknesses."

"Ha ha! Very likely, you big meathead. I bet you say that to all the pretty girls."

Chisame glanced around, looking for a source for the voice that seemed to be puzzling even Rakan, and she jumped at the sight of the blonde head that poked out of the crowd near his shoulder.

"A-aren't you..?" she stammered. The blonde woman grinned brightly, her arms crossed. Jack turned to see where the voice was coming from and what Chisame was looking at, and he grinned back.

"Hey, what're you doing here? Something sketchy, I bet," he said in a teasing manner. The grin on the woman's face quickly turned into a pout.

"Some greeting that is! And after I went to all the trouble to track you down," she said, puffing up her cheeks. "I heard you were in town and I thought I'd say hello before you ran off and disappeared again!"

"Ha! What's with that face? I can't believe you can seriously run a kingdom with a face like that," Rakan laughed, patting the woman on the head. Her pout was replaced by her grin.

"Even a princess has to get out and have fun sometimes!" she said enthusiastically. As if noticing Chisame for the first time, she raised a hand to her in greeting, winking at her. "Hey, you're one of Negi's friends, aren't you?"

"Ah— Princess Theodora?" she exclaimed, shocked by the sudden appearance.

"Ha ha, in the flesh!" she replied. "Now— mind telling me what a pair like you is doing here?"


	3. Dress-Up

A/N: I don't know whether having a tertiary character whose personality is almost two-sided and who doesn't show up very much is a blessing or a curse, honestly. Not much happens in this one, it's mostly a chapter to set up some upcoming events.

* * *

"So you managed to give your entourage the slip, eh? Ha ha! They must be pretty terrible at their jobs," Rakan laughed, clapping Theodora firmly on the shoulder.

"I'm just that good!" Theodora replied.

_Is she seriously a princess..? She's more immature than Makie and Yuuna combined.. _Chisame thought, staring at the pair in mild disbelief as they laughed together.

After Theodora had shown up in the crowd, hidden only by a hooded robe and the sheer massive number of people, Jack had ushered them off to yet another restaurant. The three of them had retired to a private back room, where he ordered them a tumbler of the same grain alcohol he had been served on the airship, and he and Theodora had wasted no time on tucking into it. Chisame sighed over her own glass, which she had only taken because he had been particularly pushy about it.

"Seriously, though, it wasn't that hard to get away," the princess said, waving her hand as she took a deep drink. "There's such a big crowd that it would have been harder _not_ to get separated from them! Lucky for me, eh?"

"What kind of princess has an attitude like that?" Rakan asked, grinning at her. She reached over and punched him in the arm, which only made him laugh.

"It's a festival! I should be allowed to have some fun too, shouldn't I?" she asked. She didn't even bother with the dramatic pout, simply grinning back at him. "I can't do that with my retainers running around and telling me what isn't 'proper' for a princess."

Chisame picked at the salty-sweet candy she'd picked up in their wanderings in between sips of her drink, which helped to dilute the bitter malt taste. She wasn't much of a drinker, but she _was_ on vacation, and it seemed like the polite thing to do when the princess you were sitting with was doing it to. She lost her train of thought in the steady _crunch, crunch_ of the candy, having tuned out their friendly conversation. It wasn't as if she was involved in any way.

"So," the princess said, slamming her empty glass on the table. Her face was flushed, although Chisame couldn't tell if that was from the booze or the excitement; she seemed to be just as good at holding her liquor as Jack was. "What's a cute couple like you guys doing here?"

Chisame bit her tongue firmly in the middle of eating a piece of candy. She cursed loudly, which startled Theodora but amused Rakan, setting him off into another fit of laughter.

"Wh— what did you just say?!" she demanded, her speech slurred by the way she was holding her bloody tongue. "We— are _not_ a couple!"

"Seriously? Could've fooled me!" Theodora said, completely unbothered by Chisame's outburst. "I thought only couples went around together during festivals like this."

"How am I supposed to take you seriously as a princess when you just assume things like that?" Rakan asked, grinning like an idiot. It was clear that he didn't take the infraction nearly as seriously as Chisame did.

"Sorryyy," the princess drawled dramatically, hand-waving the social breach. "Walking around a festival in the evening, playing games, eating candy— it just looked like a date to me."

Chisame flushed fiercely, scrunching up the bag of candy and shoving it back into her pocket. "_Why—_ would I be on a date with _him_?" she demanded, her hair standing on end with embarrassment.

"That's pretty harsh," Theodora said. Rakan just gave her a firm pat on the head, ruffling her hair.

"That's Chisame-chan for you! As cold as ever," he replied. "But she's right, you have to be pretty clueless to think _we_ would be on a date."

"H-hey! Who are you calling clueless, meathead?" she demanded, jumping up to put him in a headlock, wrapping her legs around his body.

"You, clueless," he replied, prodding her in the cheek as he laughed. Chisame sighed, averting her eyes from the embarrassing sight. She felt like she was getting more immature purely by osmosis.

Once the princess had calmed down slightly, sliding off of Jack and settling back into her chair while straightening out her appearance, she crossed her arms and looked at each of them in turn. "So, what _are_ you two doing here?"

"I'm Chisame-chan's tour guide," Rakan replied, as if that answered more questions than it raised. Theodora didn't seem particularly bothered by his lack of explanation.

"Why does _she_ get special treatment? I'm always trying to get you to go places with me," she asked, crossing her arms. Rakan grinned.

"I owe her a debt," he replied, turning to look at Chisame. He smiled at her when he caught her eye, genuinely smiled rather than grinned or smirked, and she froze under his gaze for only a moment before she looked away. Her cheeks were still burned a bright red from the embarrassment attached to Theodora's mistake, try as she might to will it away; in fact, it only seemed to be getting _worse_. "Trust me, she's no more excited about it than you are."

"H-hey, _that's_ kind of harsh.." Chisame interjected, her attention being drawn back to Rakan no matter how she tried to avert it. "Even if this whole trip _is_ your fault.. I'm still grateful that you didn't just ditch me at the gate terminal or something." She averted her eyes again, feeling her cheeks burn even more brilliantly than before. Why was she blushing? It wasn't like she was saying something embarrassing, or something that wasn't true. When she looked back, she saw the sly, knowing grin on the princess' face. "Wh-what's with that facial expression?!"

"Hehe! You get wound up easily, don't you?" Theodora asked, her face morphing into a more typical grin. Chisame bristled, but calmed down when Theodora relaxed her expression into a more gentle look. "So how do you like the festival so far?"

"It's.." The first phrase that came to mind was 'the same as every other festival', but she knew that would be exceedingly rude. She spent a moment searching for something else to say, something that was true and flattering, or at least sounded good. What finally came to mind surprised even her. "Fun. Rakan-san's been showing me all of the different kinds of cultures that take part in the festival."

She tried to ignore Rakan's brief expression of surprise, sure it was completely random, until she realized it probably had something to do with the fact that she'd directly used his name. She couldn't remember ever calling him anything but 'old man', 'pervert', 'idiot', or some combination thereof, at least to his face. Even Theodora seemed surprised, although that surprise quickly turned to a snort of laughter.

"You're so serious!" she said, giggling. It seemed like the world was conspiring against Chisame, plotting to keep her face bright red for as long as possible. "I'm glad to hear you're enjoying yourself, though. I'm proud of my empire, and I want as many people as possible to see its best points. That's why I make sure this festival runs every year, no matter what."

Theodora's eyes drifted away from them both, her mind going along with them. There was a wistful tone to her voice, like a mother reminiscing about her child. There was a definite pride to her about the Hellas Empire, and her show of a genuinely serious side made Chisame realize why she was such a powerful ruler in spite of the things Jack had been teasing her for.

"Ha ha! Who's the serious one here?" Rakan boomed, not one to be ignored or overlooked in a conversation. He gave her a pat on the back, which immediately shocked her out of her wistful distraction.

"Even someone like me has to be serious sometimes!" she replied, giving him a firm punch in the arm before winking at him. "What're you doing hanging out with me, anyway? You've got a tour to give!"

"Eh.. you sure that's okay?" he asked. "After you snuck away just to track me down.. wouldn't want to waste all your hard work."

"Don't worry about me," she replied, leaning back in her chair. "Make sure this girl well and truly appreciates this world! Besides, I'll just come and find you when you least expect it."

"Is that a royal order?" he asked, grinning mischievously. Chisame felt a cold chill run down her spine at the sight of that facial expression matched with his words. The princess grinned the same grin and crossed her arms sternly.

"Of course! Jack Rakan, by order of the imperial crown of the Hellas Empire, I _order_ you to make sure Chisame-san has an excellent time at our city festival," she said, pointing at him and taking on a serious expression.

He gave a mocking bow without getting out of his chair, then turned to Chisame. "Well, I can't exactly say no if it's a royal order, can I, Chisame-chan?"

_Like you would seriously listen to a royal order.._ she thought, resting her forehead in the palm of her hand. She shook her head, deciding it would simply be easier to play along with the farce. "I guess not," she replied with a sigh. "But to make a woman like me happy, well.. it'll probably be expensive."

"Ah.. should've expected something like that," he said with a chuckle, although he clearly didn't sound too upset by her assertion. Theodora's face remained blank for a few moments, but lit up for reasons unknown to her; she just knew it couldn't be _good_.

"One more thing— by royal order, of course," she said, now addressing Chisame directly. "If you're going to enjoy my country's hospitality, you have to enjoy _every_ part of it— food, scenery.. and clothing."

Chisame blinked, a dumbfounded look on her face. Had she heard her correctly? Even Rakan seemed confused by the "order".

"Come on," the princess said, rising out of her chair and pulling her hood up over her head. "I have a place I want to show you."

* * *

Chisame tried not to groan as a scaly woman wrapped a tape measure around her hips, blushing at the running commentary on her body and proportions.

"You have good measurements," the seamstress said, although she had no idea what she really meant by that. "Alright, I can work with this. Just give me a few minutes."

She disappeared into the back room as she wound the tape measure around her hand, leaving Chisame standing on a platform in front of the mirror in her underwear. Trying not to call more attention than was strictly necessary to her embarrassment, she cleared her throat. "Can someone really tailor an outfit in that short amount of time..?" she asked.

Theodora smiled from where she was sitting in a wicker chair, not far off. "Don't underestimate Kula," she replied, raising a finger in warning but winking at the same time to show that she wasn't completely serious. "She's been a royal seamstress for as long as I can remember, and she's always lived up to her promises."

_What's a royal seamstress doing working out of a place like this..? _she wondered, looking around the tailor shop. It seemed more like a dingy apartment than anything, but the princess seemed to have utmost faith in the woman. _Oh well, it's not like I have anything to lose at this point.. I've already lost my dignity, after all.._ _Speaking of which.._

"Is this all really necessary..?" she asked, sighing as she stared at herself in the mirror. She was still a slender, well-proportioned woman, but her years of reclusive behaviour hard worn down any possible suggestions of muscle tone, and her skin was a pasty white. _I really do look the part, huh.._

"Hey, you're getting high-quality clothes for free here! Try not to drown me in all of your excitement," Theodora said, laughing as she spoke. Chisame could tell that the Hellas princess saw her as some strange, otherworldly creature, and she couldn't say she blamed her. That's what she technically _was_ in a place like this, after all..

"Ah.. sorry," she said, realizing her own rudeness. "I guess I'm just not used to getting the royal treatment."

"Lighten up," Theodora responded, in a tone that made Chisame think that if she hadn't been across the room, she would have gotten the same punch-in-the-arm treatment that Rakan got whenever he said something that irritated or excited the princess. "You're at a festival, and you're going to be wearing a pretty dress. Not to mention the fact that your guide is under imperial oath to make sure you have fun. Now's the chance to really loosen up!"

Chisame was silent for a few moments, trying to think of how to best phrase her question without coming across as even more rude. "You know, I'm grateful for your generosity, but.." She paused mid-sentence, trying to make sure things were coming out exactly the way she wanted them to. "Why are you doing this sort of thing for me? I mean, you probably have better things to be doing, since you went to all the trouble of sneaking away.."

In the folding three-faced mirror, she caught sight of the smile on Theodora's face. Like with Rakan, it was strange to see a genuine smile on her, rather than a smirk or a grin. "I guess that's because.. you seem to have a weird gift, Chisame-san," she replied, nodding to herself.

"What do you mean by that?" she asked, more confused than she had been before she'd even asked. The princess took a moment to consider.

"Well.." she said, clearly wracking her brain for the right words, the same way Chisame had. "You have a way with idiots, I guess. Trying to get Jack to visit is like pulling teeth, but you didn't seem to have much of a problem managing it."

"L-like he said, he owes me," she replied immediately, feeling not only her face but her shoulders heat up with embarrassment. "That guy's an extrovert through and through, anyway. He probably just does it to tease you."

Theodora smiled, but shook her head. "Jack's a friendly guy, but he likes his privacy," she replied. "Why else do you think he'd live alone, out in the middle of nowhere?"

Chisame's eyes widened slightly at the explanation. She'd really never thought of it that way before, although she remembered wondering why a guy like him would choose to live way out in the middle of a desert.

"I get it, though," the princess continued, clearly not noticing her companion's surprise. "He may not be royalty or anything, but a guy like that still has a place in history books. Why bother getting annoyed by people on the street if you can avoid it?"

She thought not only of the airship attendant and the excited waitress, but all of the people who had stopped to stare or whisper to their friends when they had passed by. It had made her feel self-conscious, and a few times she had even debated sneaking away from him, but now she felt guilty about it. She hadn't thought about the fact that he probably went through the same thing whenever he was in the city.

"But something about you got him out here today," she continued, again not taking much note of Chisame's reactions. "And I'm not going to let that go to waste."

Before she could say anything about Theodora's motives, the seamstress returned, carrying a dress draped across her thick arms. Chisame blanched at the sight of it, particularly as Kula held it out for her to take. She held it up to her body and swallowed hard.

"I don't think—" she started, but the sound of the princess clapping her hands together loudly cut her off.

"It's perfect!"

* * *

"I look _ridiculous—_"

"You look _great_. Now get down there already!"

"Why this big entrance, it's not like I—"

Theodora took the steps into the main floor lobby two at a time, pausing at the landing below with her hands on her hips. Jack, whose attention had been focused mainly on the crowds passing by the partially-open door, immediately looked towards her.

"May I present Chisame Hasegawa, wearing a one-of-a-kind Theodora-sponsored original," she said, extending an arm up the staircase. When nothing followed, she turned her head to glare at the landing above, and a pair of feet appeared at the top of the stairs.

His chair's armrest splintered in his grip when the rest followed.

Chisame's new dress was a billowing number that fell just below her knees, with a black skirt and a white heart-shaped top held in place by black silk straps. Around her neck was a black choker that brought to mind the ones she had worn back in the magic world days, when she was constantly in disguise and on the run. Her glasses were gone, and her messy ponytail had been replaced by an immaculate bun.

Chisame blushed and bristled at the sight of his jaw-dropped expression. "What're you staring at, old pervert? It's not like you've never seen me dressed up before.."

She stuck out her lip and narrowed her eyes, and his expression slowly changed into a grin. "Damn, you weren't kidding when you said you were going to be expensive, huh?"

He burst into laughter, and Chisame stormed over to give him a firm kick in the shin, although he didn't seem to have any sort of reaction to it. Theodora hid a grin behind a carefully placed hand.

"It's on me," she said, over the din of Chisame's yelling and Jack's laughter. "On the condition that you two get out there and have a good time."

Chisame turned to look at her, embarrassed by her sudden outburst. "My purse.." she said. Theodora shouldered the bag that she had confiscated.

"I'll hold onto it for you, and have it sent back to your hotel if I don't see you guys before that," she replied.

"And what're you going to get yourself into in the meantime?" Rakan asked as he stood. Theodora grinned.

"I'm going to stuff myself with all the junk food I can handle," she said, her smile bright. She grabbed both Jack and Chisame by the hand, urging them out the door. "Now get out there! I've wasted enough of your time. Enjoy yourselves!"

She slammed the door behind them but watched them wander off into the crowd from the window, that same hidden smile returning.


	4. The Dancers

A/N: This chapter was the one I first had in mind when I was planning this fic, or even conceptualizing a series to continue from 'Capturing Happiness'. Hopefully the rest of the fic won't just be a downhill slide from here..

* * *

Chisame always felt like it was childish of her, but she loved paper lanterns. When she was young she would always beg her mother to let her take home the fancy ones they would string up at local festivals, and when she was denied, the two of them would spend the next evening making their own while they waited for her father to come home for dinner. As such, she couldn't help but stare at the paper lanterns strung up along the streets as she passed. They were different from Japanese lanterns— something that was to be expected, of course— but they still cast a comforting, colourful glow on the people below.

The sun had long since set, having descended beneath the horizon while they were with Theodora in the restaurant. The night hadn't slowed the flow of people, but it had thinned them out and redirected them. Some of the booths had closed down while others were just starting to open, but festival games and junk food had lost their shine for Chisame over the years.

She reached up to run her fingers along an orange lantern in a strange oblong shape, emblazoned with a complex latticework design and a character from a language she couldn't read. It bobbed up like a helium balloon, the inside flame bobbing with it. It surprised her, and then she was surprised that she was surprised. It was a _magic world,_ after all; what were buoyant paper lanterns compared to the dolphin-people who kept walking past? Or even the seven-foot tall warrior at her side?

"So," she said loudly, folding her hands together behind her back as she drifted closer to Jack. The crowd was thin enough that she didn't need to plaster herself to his side anymore, but she didn't want to get lost in the crowd. Rakan would be easy enough to find, even in a crowd, but she couldn't depend on him to not get distracted and lose sight of _her_. "What are you going to do to keep me amused? Since you're under a royal order and everything."

"Youuu'lll seee," he replied in sing-song, striding along with his hands shoved in his pockets. "You're a tough girl to please, after all. I'm going to have to do something extra special, or the princess will have my head."

Chisame stuck her chin up, trying to imitate the haughty look she remembered Iincho walking into class with every day. "Good," she said, feeling ridiculous even as she said it. Rakan grinned at her.

"I was starting to think you didn't have a sense of humour," he said. "You know, you should smile more often. If you keep frowning like that, you're gonna give yourself premature wrinkles."

"Smiling gives you wrinkles, too," she said, frowning deeply and narrowing her eyes for comedic effect and resistance. She lifted a hand to point at the corner of his mouth. "I'm surprised an old man like you isn't covered in them."

Rakan widened his grin in the same sort of display of resistance. "I don't get wrinkles. I'm ageless."

"Yeah, like a regular work of art," she drawled sarcastically. He gave her a dramatic flex, which drew more than a few glances from passersby.

"Hey, I'm not the one wearing an outfit that costs more than most people's houses," he replied. The comment failed to register for a moment before Chisame all but froze, looking down at the dress she had been all but forced into wearing.

"Wha— _this _thing?" she said in disbelief, holding out the billowy skirt. To her it looked like the sort of dress she could find in any local boutique, and although she had assumed that a royally-sponsored dress would come with a designer price tag, she hadn't guessed it would be worth more than everything else she owned. Jack laughed at her flabbergasted expression.

"What else did you expect from a royal tailor?" he asked. Chisame stared down at her dress as they walked, as if terrified that even just walking through the clean streets would destroy it. "It looks good on you."

She tried not to blush, an effort that went completely to waste as soon as she saw that his face had slipped back into his genuine smile. She frowned, holding her arms close to her body. "What's with the compliment? Flattery isn't going to get you anywhere," she said firmly.

"I'm just saying the good life suits you," he explained. "Walking around a big festival in a nice dress with your hair done up.. it's better than sitting in a dingy old apartment, eh?"

Chisame's expression faded into something neutral and unreadable, staring down at her shoes. Still silent, she jogged ahead until there was a distance of a few yards between them, then stopped and turned around to face him. He stopped, hands in his pockets. The street they had turned down was almost entirely empty, filled mostly with stalls that had already closed up for the night.

"Not all of us can be rich and famous war heroes, you know," she called back to him, hands folded behind her back. There was no malice in her voice or face, but her expression was undeniably stern, like she was scolding a child. "I'm only good with a computer, and there's only so much money you can make like that when you don't want a lot of attention. I'm perfectly happy with my dingy little apartment." She turned on her heel and started walking again, which Jack took as his cue to follow.

"'Happy'?" he said, walking just a few steps behind her as she slowed down to let him catch up. Chisame snorted as she realized the connections he was making to their previous conversations.

"_Content_," she corrected. "I make enough money to get by and people don't bother me. I like my privacy."

Rakan smiled and gave her a pat on the head as he stepped up next to her, once again careful not to mess up her hair. "There's a difference between privacy and seclusion, kiddo."

Chisame held her breath at the somber tone of his voice. She looked up at his face and had to immediately look away again when she saw that genuine smile. She immediately averted her eyes and focused instead on the street in front of her, on putting one foot in front of the other without stumbling on the cobblestone or drifting to the side. "Not _that_ much of a difference," she replied in a subdued voice. He snorted out a single laugh.

"You're right about that," he agreed, dropping his hand. They walked on in silence, Chisame with her hands folded in front of her and Rakan with his in his pockets. It was less of a comforting blanket and more of a wall. Searching for any way to break the tension, she jogged ahead again to where the thin street emptied out into a wider court. Although she wracked her brain for those few moments, trying to think of something to say, everything went out of her mind when she stepped into the circle.

A cobblestone ledge rimmed with a wrought iron bannister surrounded a low-set court, in the middle of which sat a constructed wooden platform. A live band was set up on it, playing utterly foreign looking instruments in a toe-tapping melody. A dozen dancers, all in pairs, twirled and jumped around the remaining area between the ledge and the stage. Chisame stepped up to the railing and leaned forwards, watching as a tiger man dipped a slender girl with flowers for hair.

"Dances like this happen every night, all through the city," Rakan explained, stepping up beside her and leaning over the railing. The dancers didn't even notice him, too caught up in their revel. "Different kind every night. No two are exactly the same."

"You know a lot about this festival," Chisame commented, leaning the side of her face into her closed fist, elbow resting on the flat top of the fence. "Do you come here a lot?"

"I used to," he replied. "Back when I was a kid. I grew up in this country, remember. It's different than it was back then, but.. not that different."

He seemed almost nostalgic as he spoke, and Chisame couldn't help but watch his face as he stared out across the crowd. He seemed to be in another world entirely, that smile on his face. The longer the day went on, the less he smirked and grinned and the more he smiled genuinely.

Upon realizing she was staring, Chisame jerked her head away and stared at the band instead. She cleared her throat like she had something stuck in the back of it. "A serious expression like that doesn't suit a guy like you," she mumbled, standing on the lowest rung of the fence so she would be slightly taller. It reminded her of when she would clamber on the fence around the park near her house and her father would panic and tell her to get down. It made her feel childish, but since Rakan was being so serious, she felt like _someone _had to pick up the slack. "You should go back to just being a childish, annoying, devil-may-care kind of guy.."

She closed her eyes and inhaled deeply, just as a light breeze passed through the court. The smells of festival food, roasting meats and bubbling sugars, floated in from the stalls a few streets over. It took her a few moments to realize that Jack had never responded, and had instead just left her comments hanging in the air. His frequent silences were starting to unsettle her, when compared to the running commentary that had been going on for more or less the rest of the day.

"So.. this is the country you were born in, huh?" she said, reaching for some topic of conversation and latching onto the last thing he had mentioned. "I think Negi mentioned something like that.." She tried to recall what Negi had told Ala Alba about Rakan before their fateful match. Studying always had been his strong suit.

"I'm not surprised," he said with a shrug. "Everything you could ever want to know about me, you can find in a history book. My story's public property."

"Is that why you moved to the middle of the desert?" she asked, turning around so she was leaning back against the fence.

Another shrug. "Who wants to be an underdog hero all the time?" he replied. "Win a few gladiator tournaments, save the world, and suddenly everyone who's ever had a bad day considers you their personal hero. Almost makes me miss being a mercenary." He took a long pause before turning his head in her direction, fixing her with a wry grin. "What about you? Is it hard on a young woman, being a saviour of the world?"

"I didn't save the world," she said, shaking her head. "I just gave Negi and Asuna a big enough kick in the ass to do what they needed to do. I didn't even do as much as _you_."

Jack laughed, tapping her lightly in the shoulder with one knuckle. "I didn't think you'd be so modest. Give yourself more credit, kiddo. You did good."

Chisame waved her hand, turning back to watch the dancers. "Yeah, yeah. Are we just going to stand around reminiscing about the 'good old days'?"

The current song ended just as she finished talking, and the band immediately transitioned into a more folksy song with a lot of string instruments. The dancers seemed completely unfazed by the sudden change, twirling effortlessly into an entirely different dance number. Chisame watched for a few moments, enraptured by the colours and gracefulness, before stepping down from the fence. She reached over and grabbed Rakan's hand, pulling him in the direction of the stairs that led into the dance area.

"You know how to dance, right?" she asked, looking over her shoulder. He grinned at her.

"Of course. I have no weaknesses," he replied. "Didn't think you'd be interested in dancing of all things."

"I'm not," she replied, lifting the edge of her skirt as they descended the steps even though it wasn't long enough to get caught under her shoes. "But I'm here to see the world and try new things. So I should probably get started."

She didn't have time to say anything else before Jack had taken the lead in the situation, twirling her around so they were face-to-face rather than him being dragged along behind her. She was momentarily startled and nearly stumbled, but managed to regain her footing when he put his hand on her waist.

The other dancers didn't seem to notice their addition; they simply kept dancing, with movements both gracefully practised and energetically carefree. Their skill made Chisame second-guess herself, and for a brief moment she debated telling her partner that the idea was stupid and retreating back to the ledge to simply watch. Jack ended the thought prematurely by tugging her closer to the stage, taking her hand as well as her waist.

"It's not as hard as it looks," he assured her, grinning. She frowned at him as if to refute the idea that she'd been having any sort of doubts, when she was really more concerned with the fact that he seemed to be reading her mind. She didn't doubt that he could do exactly that, and so started projecting a variety of curses and warnings in her mind. If he _was_ reading her thoughts, he didn't seem to care much. "Just follow my lead," he instructed, lifting her hand so it was in the proper position.

Chisame would have thought their height difference would make pair dancing difficult, but surprisingly it didn't. She also would have thought that someone as huge and lumbering as Jack Rakan wouldn't be a graceful dancer, but she was surprised again. He certainly was doing well enough to cover the fact that she kept catching the toe of her shoe on a crack in the ground, or got her legs twisted up when trying to turn too fast. She could have as much grace as she needed when she was posing for pictures, but grace in movement was another thing entirely. She didn't dance. But that strange, somber air that had settled around them had lifted. Jack was too busy laughing at her clumsy missteps and surreptitiously lifting her to keep her from stumbling to maintain that strange seriousness.

"If you'd stop staring at your feet and worrying so much, you'd be a natural," he chuckled, twisting her out before pulling her back towards him. "Everyone else is too busy dancing to notice you. The only person paying attention to you right now is me."

Chita blushed, nearly tripping over her own feet as soon as she said it. "That's easy for you to say," she said, puffing up her cheeks as she tried to stop staring at her own feet. She ended up staring at Rakan's bare chest instead, thanks to her eye-level, and decided that her feet were the better option after all. "You're perfect at everything."

"Almost everything," Jack replied with little modesty and less shame. "You really expect me to think you're some kind of klutz? Come on, eyes off of your feet."

Her head snapped up, about to tell him off for his running commentary, but before she could say anything the music swelled and she found herself perilously close to the ground. Like the other women around her, she dangled precariously at the end of her partner's arm, her back almost parallel to the cobblestone court. One slip on either her part or his would send her sprawling. She made an undignified noise when he pulled her back up from the strange variation of a dip, unable to stop herself from bumping into his chest. Rakan laughed at her, and their proximity made it rumble through her entire body.

"..shut up," she mumbled against him, frowning deeply and turning a bright shade of red. "Keep making fun of me like that and I'm just going to go straight home and you'll have to explain to Theodora why I left."

"It's hard not to laugh at you when you take yourself so seriously all the time," he replied, guiding her to twirl in perfect time with the other dancers. "Lighten up a little or you're going to get those wrinkles I warned you about."

"You'll get wrinkles long before I do, old man," she retorted, resisting the urge to stick her tongue out at him. She was feeling giddy and childish, and it was getting harder and harder to reign herself in. "I'd be willing to put money on it."

"We'll see about that," he said, twirling her again, but this time releasing her. She did a few turns on her own before coming back to him, the two of them facing away from each other and holding hands at arm's length as they did a single turn before Jack spun her back into a more traditional pair dancing pose. He held up both hands in front of him and one quick glance around the crowd told her to place her palms against his, realizing for the first time how absolutely _massive_ his hands were compared to hers. Jack Rakan seemed to be a study in stretching proportions to their limits. "See? When you're too busy getting mad at me to stare at your feet, you're a pro!"

Chisame blushed as she realized that she had been too distracted by their banter to feel self-conscious. She was about to complain, tell Rakan that he shouldn't ruin it by saying it out loud, but the next dance step brought her close to him again and the realization that she was getting used to such close proximity made her pause.

The music swelled again, this time resulting in both of Rakan's hands going to her waist. She fumbled, trying to figure out where to put her hands. "What am I supposed to—"

"Just follow my lead," he repeated, winking. She blushed and froze just long enough to be caught off guard.

Chisame gasped audibly as Jack picked her up and spun her around. Unlike the other women in the square, whose partners could only life them a few inches off of the ground, he deadlifted and twirled her around over his head. He laughed as she let out a surprised squeak. When he lowered her, intent on setting her back down, she threw her arms around his neck as if my reflex.

"You-you're an idiot," she stammered, clinging to him like she was going to fall into a ravine if she let go.

"Ha ha! You're not afraid of heights, are you, Chisame-chan?" he asked. She couldn't see the grin on his face, but she could practically _hear_ it in his voice. Rather than try to unravel her from his neck and set her down, he wrapped an arm around her back to keep her supported.

"..I thought you were going to drop me," she replied, unashamedly burying her face in his shoulder. Her response was more out of shock than genuine fear, but there was adrenaline running through her either way. She felt a laugh rumble through him, but it wasn't his usual grand booming laughter. Instead, he chuckled softly.

"I wouldn't drop you," he said, and her arms tightened around his neck in a vice grip that would have choked a normal man.

"..Jack?" she said softly, her voice barely audible over the din of the festival around them. It took her a moment to realize that the dancing was still going on around them; time seemed to stand still. She could feel his heart beating steadily through his neck, drumming against the side of her face.

"Yeah, Chisame?" he said in return, just as softly. He had dropped the honorific again, but this time she didn't mind.

"I think I'm happy now," she muttered, glad Jack couldn't see the way her cheeks flushed. "At least.. a little more than I was before."

"Glad to hear I'm doing my job," he said, finally setting her down. The song finished its last few chords, and many of the dancers paused to catch their breath after going steady for several complex numbers in a row. As they started to wind down from the energy of dancing, they started to take notice of the latecomer pair. Eyes strayed in their direction, followed shortly by whispers. "We should probably get out of here," he suggested, rubbing the back of his neck.

"Let's," she agreed, suddenly feeling self-conscious again. Jack took her by the hand, leading her away from the dance area and down a complicated series of side streets. They moved at a faster pace than normal, both of them still energized by the dance.

Once they were a seemingly arbitrary but significant distance away from the dancers, he ducked into an alleyway and leaned back against the cool brick wall. Chisame followed his example, feeling a bit winded by their unnecessary jog.

"I don't know how you do it," she admitted, shaking her head. "Having people recognize you everywhere you go.. it would drive me completely crazy."

"Ah, you get used to it," he replied with a shrug. "I just figured someone who can't even stop staring at their feet when they dance wouldn't want so many people staring at them, that's all."

"Hey, if it wasn't for the fact that I'm hanging out with a seven-foot-tall attention magnet like you, I wouldn't even be worried about something like that in the first place!" she said, huffing indignantly. When Jack laughed at her, she couldn't manage to keep a straight face, a grin worming its way in.

"Heh, I _thought_ I heard the sound of bickering," announced a boisterous voice from the end of the alley. The grin slid off of Chisame's face as he attention was peaked. At the alley entrance stood Theodora, her hood once again pulled up and what looked and smelled like a humungous bag of something deep-fried in her arms. She grinned brightly at them. "So how was the rest of your date?"

"Give it a rest already!" Chisame snapped, face flushing, which only made Theodora grin wider. "It's not a date, and it would never be one in a million years!"

"Reeeally?" Theodora said slyly. "Because when two people walk around a festival _holding hands_, I usually would call that a date."

Chisame's expression slid into one of completely confusion for a moment before her eyes glanced briefly downwards, reminding her that her hand was still in Jack's. She immediately snatched it away, holding it close to her chest.

"W-we weren't— that wasn't..!" She fumbled for the right words, but Jack stepped in, folding his hands behind his head and leaning back casually.

"Stop teasing the girl already," he said, shaking his head disapprovingly. "You'd think a princess would have something better to do."

"I do," she replied, fixing him with a fiercely determined look. "Going drinking with my old buddy. If Chisame-chan is ready to let you go, that is."

"Do whatever you want with him," Chisame replied, waving her hand dismissively before using it to cover up a yawn that was half-forced. "I think I'm just going to head back to the hotel. I've had enough fun for one day."

"Lightweight," he chuckled, but there was something.. _hollow_ about his grin. The two of them shared a look that made Chisame momentarily freeze, which only made it all the more startling when Theodora loudly clapped her hands.

"It's settled, then," she said excitedly. "We'll drop you off at your hotel, then I'll take this idiot off of your hands."

Chisame padded around the hotel room, holding her arms close to her body. She had traded her new expensive dress for a t-shirt and old pair of worn shorts that had too many holes for her to wear in public anymore, leaving the dress draped over the desk chair. She stifled a yawn behind her hand; she had only claimed to be tired as an excuse, but her _actual_ exhaustion was slowly creeping up on her.

She paused at the window, holding the curtain open and staring out at the street below. The crowds had started to dissipate as people headed back to their hotels and homes for the night, but there was still the occasional passerby, and the lanterns continued to bob and keep the street well-lit.

There was a momentary din below as Theodora stumbled out of the side door and into the street, her hood sliding off of her head as she twirled energetically. She quickly pulled it back up as Jack followed, shaking his head disapprovingly at her antics as he strode out with his hands in his pockets. She couldn't hear what they were saying or read their lips. But she didn't have to in order to see how comfortable they were with each other. A pair of old friends, ready to hit the bars now that Rakan's charge had been escorted back to the hotel and gotten rid of.

Chisame smiled bitterly at her own reflection and let the curtain fall on one of the best evenings she could remember having in a long time.


End file.
